


The Ladies of Chaos Tattoos

by lutes_and_dandelions



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Florist Jaskier, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Smut, Tattoo Artist Yennefer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:22:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23503789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutes_and_dandelions/pseuds/lutes_and_dandelions
Summary: Jaskier was only vaguely aware that the bookstore opposite his florist shop, Buttercups and Dandelions, had closed. He became slightly more aware when a group of builders took up residence in the empty shop, as they made an awful lot of noise while they worked. Curiosity came into play when the shop’s new storefront was revealed. Chaos Tattoos, it proclaimed. Jaskier noticed the same group of five women entering and exiting the shop on a regular basis.The day before Chaos Tattoos was set to open, Jaskier was behind the counter making flower arrangements when the bell above his shop's front door tinkled. He turned, standing in the entrance to his shop was one of the women he’d seen going in and out of the new tattoo parlour. The first thing Jaskier noticed about her was that she had black hair, he didn’t get a chance to notice a second thing because she turned to face him and his brain short circuited.“I’m from Chaos across the road, name’s Yennefer. We wanted to know if you sold potted plants or just cut flowers?” she asked.Jaskier stared at her for a moment before blurting, “Yes,” and clamping his mouth shut with an audible click.
Relationships: Jaskier | Dandelion/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Comments: 33
Kudos: 91





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies! So this fic does have some trigger warnings attached to it and they're detailed in Chapter 2. I thought that would be easier then making everyone scroll down to the very end so please check them out if you do have any potential triggers. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy the fic, if I were to describe it in one word, I'd simply use 'soft'.

Jaskier was only vaguely aware that the bookstore opposite his florist shop, Buttercups and Dandelions, had closed. He became slightly more aware when a group of builders took up residence in the empty shop, as they made an awful lot of noise while they worked. Curiosity came into play when the shop’s new storefront was revealed. Chaos Tattoos, it proclaimed in bold gold letters against the new frosted glass windows. The outside walls, previously a dull white had been repainted midnight blue, the shop's front door was repainted to be a mural of flowers. On many occasions Jaskier found himself admiring the artistry as he tended the flowers that lived in front of the windows in his own shop. A sign appeared on it one day proclaiming the shops opening date. 

Jaskier noticed the same group of five women entering and exiting the shop on a regular basis, carrying things in from various cars. He wanted to go and offer help but knew from his best friend Priscilla, who was a music technician, that it probably wouldn’t be appreciated. _Like I get that they’re just trying to help but we don’t need blokes swanning in like they’re our knight in shining armour! I can lift the heavy thing! If I need your help I’ll fucking ask!_ she’d ranted to him one evening after a particularly condescending producer had tried to imply that she not only shouldn’t carry an amplifier across the recording studio, but that she couldn’t possibly because it must have been too heavy. She was spitting mad about it and Jaskier had vowed to never offer unsolicited help. 

The day before Chaos Tattoos was set to open, Jaskier was behind the counter making flower arrangements when the bell above his shop's front door tinkled. He turned, standing in the entrance to his shop was one of the women he’d seen going in and out of the new tattoo parlour, looking around at the flowers on display. The first thing Jaskier noticed about her was that she had black hair, he didn’t get a chance to notice a second thing because she turned to face him and his brain short circuited.

“I’m from Chaos across the road, name’s Yennefer. We wanted to know if you did potted plants or just cut flowers?” she asked.

Jaskier stared at her for a moment before blurting, “Yes,” and clamping his mouth shut with an audible click.

“Yes, you sell potted plants or yes, you just do cut flowers?” Yennefer frowned. 

“Yes,” Jaskier chastised himself internally for being so tongue tied. Priscilla liked to tease him for being an insufferable flirt but the ability to even form a proper sentence seemed to have deserted him. “Both, I meant both. We sell both. Sorry, just, yeah. We sell both, have I mentioned that?”

“Maybe a couple of times,” Yennefer snorted. She looked at him expectantly and when Jaskier continued to stand behind the counter she gestured around at the shop, “Could you show me where they are, please?”

“Oh! Oh yes, of course, absolutely,” he babbled before lurching forward and through the swinging half door that cut the shop into two areas. “I don’t have that many potted plants, they’re just cast offs from supermarkets?” Why did he make that a question?! She raised her eyebrows at him, and he hurried to explain as he led her over to the little succulent stand in the back corner. “The big supermarkets have started selling plants, right? Since they’re sort of in fashion at the minute? But they never water them! So, I go around and rescue them when they start to go brown because of dehydration. They either just let me take them or I haggle them down to half price and then bring them back here. I don’t charge for them because I don’t pay for most of them, but there’s a donation pot for them if you can, the money goes to the local homeless shelter. I know they look a little under the weather now but a couple of weeks with a proper watering regime and they’ll look beautiful again!” 

“Beautiful?” Yennefer asked harshly, almost spitting the word as she turned to look at him expectantly. She was clearly waiting for something, her shoulders had pulled back in the tight line, her chin thrust out like she was ready to fight, but Jaskier could not figure out why or what for. 

“Erm...yes?” Jaskier frowned, meeting her eyes, “they just need a little TLC, you know? Bit of tender, loving, care.” 

The fight in Yennefer left her just as quickly as it appeared. Her entire being seemed to relax and her lips tugged up in a smile that almost made Jaskier’s slowly rebooting brain restart again. “I’d love to take some of these little guys off your hands,” she said.

“That’s great, that’s wonderful! Thank you! So, yeah, just pick whatever ones you like and then I’ll take you through their care instructions,” Jaskier told her. He hovered for a moment as she started to pick each plant up one by one to look them over. However, aware that she could probably do without him stood at her shoulder, he hastily went back to the arrangement he’d been making before Yennefer had walked into his shop. 

Even though his back was too her, he could still see her in his mind’s eye. Black hair, full lips, purple eyes...she must have been wearing contacts. She was wearing a jumper against the chill spring air, but the backs of her hands were tattooed. The right with a red rose and the left with an intricate mandala, the tops of her fingers were also covered in various symbols. He didn’t think about what other tattoos she may have, already feeling weird about being able to picture her in his mind after just meeting her. 

“What’s your name, anyway?” Yennefer called to him. 

“Jaskier,” he replied.

“I didn’t think the shop was named after its proprietor,” she sounded amused, it made Jaskier’s lips tug up in a smile. 

“It’s the other way around,” he explained, turning and leaning against the workbench. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. “This was my grandmother's shop. Buttercups were a staple in bouquets, and I was obsessed with them when I was a kid so Jaskier stuck as a nickname. My real name is Julian.” 

“Do you like being called Jaskier?” she asked, walking towards him with an armful of succulents. 

“I’ve never thought about it?” he replied truthfully, happy that his ability to form normal sentences had seemingly returned. “People have been calling me Jaskier for so long…even my parents used to call me Jaskier.” 

As she carefully placed the plants down on the counter in front of him, he saw her register the use of the past tense, but she didn’t say anything. “I put some money in the box,” she told him before asking, “So how do I care for these little ones?” 

Yennefer had picked up a mix of jade plants, aeoniums, aloes and haworthias, it didn’t take long to talk her through how much light and water they’d need. When he was done, she gathered the plants up into her arms again, thanked him and headed for the door. She stopped in front of it, looked down at the plants in her arms and then looked back at him, “Would you be able to get the door for me, please?”

“Yes, yes, of course!” Jaskier came out from behind the counter again and happily held the door open for her. He felt his brain begin to turn to mush again when she smiled up at him and murmured a thanks. She was halfway across the street when Jaskier thought to do a normal person thing and called, “Good luck with the opening tomorrow, Yennefer!” 

“Thank you, Julian!” she called back to him over her shoulder, voice sounding light. He was aware that he made a noise when she used his name and he was incredibly glad she was too far across the street to hear it. One of the other ladies in the shop opened the door for her when she reached the other side of the street. Jaskier let go of the door and backed up until he felt the counter press into his back. 

She’d called him Julian. She’d called him _Julian_. She’d _called_ him Julian. Jaskier didn’t know why she’d called him Julian, but he liked it and hoped he’d get to hear her call him it again.

-oOo-

Two weeks later Jaskier was rearranging the outdoor flower stand so they looked like a pride flag when he spotted Yennefer walking down the opposite side of the street to him. It was just before ten, when the parlour opened. Jaskier stepped back to run a critical eye over his work, decided he liked it and then was on his way inside when Yennefer called, “Good morning, Julian!” to him just as he reached the entrance to her own shop.

“M-morning!” he called, raising a hand in a wave. Despite not being a clumsy person Jaskier found himself pitching forward into the pavement after tripping over his own feet with a yelp. 

Jaskier threw his hands out to break his fall and ended up face down on the ground. He heard someone quickly approaching and rolled onto his back. Yennefer appeared above him, hair falling around her face as he bent over to look down at him. “Are you okay?” she asked around badly suppressed laughter. 

He blinked up at her owlishly, momentarily lost for words other then, _are you an angel?_ and he could not say that. Once the urge to make even more of a fool out of himself had passed he said, “Yes. Feel free to laugh.”

“Thanks,” Yennefer snickered before straightening up and devolving into giggles. Still laughing she held out her hands to him. Unable to fully comprehend what was happening, Jaskier sat up and placed his hands in her smaller ones and let her help him up off the ground. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked again, dropping his hands and taking a step back. 

“I promise I’ll live,” he smiled, rubbing his suddenly sweaty palms against his trouser legs. 

“Well we have a first aid kit if you ever need one,” she offered.

“Thank you, I really appreciate it.” Jaskier had his own first aid kit but he wasn’t going to admit that. 

“Yen, come on, your morning client will be here soon!” One of the Chaos ladies shouted from their door.

“Coming, Sabrina!” Yennefer called back.

“Morning, Jaskier!” Sabina shouted to him, sounding amused. He’d never met her before but called back anyway to be polite. For some reason the exchange made Yennefer roll her eyes. He didn’t ask.

“See you later, Julian,” Yennefer said quietly, a soft smile curling her lips up at the corners.

“Have asee goo-dlater!” Jaskier exclaimed before clapping a hand over his mouth. Yennefer looked at him before bursting out laughing again. Jaskier could feel his face heating in embarrassment. “I, er, I tried to say _have a good day_ and _see you later_ at the same time,” he murmured through his hand, wanting the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

“I got that,” Yennefer sniggered, eyes crinkling at the corners and making butterflies take flight in Jaskier’s stomach.

“See you later,” he mumbled, beating a hasty retreat into his shop before he could embarrass himself any further.

-oOo-

Another week later and Yennefer showed up in his shop again, this time with ring donuts because their apprentice, Pavetta, had brought in a huge tray that morning. Jaskier accepted them happily and then managed to keep his shit together around Yennefer long enough to ask about the shop. As he’d suspected it was owned and run by the ladies that he’d seen regularly frequenting the place. There were five of them, Yennefer, Sabrina who he’d met the previous week, Yennefer’s friend Triss, Pavetta their apprentice and the woman who owned the shop, Renfri. Renfri and Pavetta were locals to the city whereas Yennefer, Sabrina and Triss had all moved to the city to work at Chaos.

Yennefer in turn asked him why he decided to be a florist. Jaskier explained that he’d spent his days as a young kid in the shop with his grandmother and then the summers and weekends of his teenage years working for her. He’d gone to university to study music and loved it but didn’t know what he wanted to do after graduating. While Jaskier was still trying to find employment, his grandmother had told him she wanted to sell the shop and retire. The thought horrified him so he asked her if he could take over. She’d readily agreed. He told Yennefer that it was the best decision he’d ever made, that he loved the artistry of it and that the satisfaction of the beautiful things he created made up for the shitty customers. 

Needing to get back over to Chaos for her next client, Yennefer made him a promise that they’d have to swap shitty customer stories at some point in the future and then left. Her smile, as always, left Jaskier absolutely reeling, although he was pleased that he’d managed to interact with her without making a fool himself.

-oOo-

Jaskier was very aware that Yennefer had, on three separate occasions, visited him and that if Yennefer or any of the Chaos ladies saw him outside on their way to work they waved and called hello to him. So, he wanted to do something for them and go and see Yennefer in her shop. He was ninety-nine percent sure he’d be welcome and when he’d spoken to Priscilla about it she’d agreed with him.

The opportunity finally presented itself in the form of a bunch of bananas that he’d forgotten to eat while they were at his optimum level of ripeness. Jaskier made them into a banana bread and cut off a few slices for himself. The next day he closed the shop as usual at two for his lunch hour, ate his sandwich and then crossed the street with purpose. Resisting the urge to knock on Chaos’ front door, he took a deep breath and let himself in.

The first thing Jaskier noticed was the antiseptic smell that hung in the air, followed by the buzz of multiple tattoo guns. He looked around, there was a counter in front of him, and he was surrounded by sofas, he’d clearly stepped into the waiting area. Hand drawn works of art hung on three of the walls and the fourth had been painted like the shop's front door. He could see a door leading off the back wall that was clearly labelled as a bathroom, another that said kitchen and another that said supplies. Sabrina and a curly haired artist he’d seen but not been introduced too yet were working on clients, both women were tattooed.

Someone coughed in front of him, drawing his attention back to the counter. A young blonde and a short-haired brunette were sitting behind the counter looking at him expectantly, both also with visible tattoos. “Hi!” he exclaimed, voice an octave higher than normal. He cleared his throat and ignored the amused glints in the women’s eyes. “I’m Jaskier, from over the road. We wave at each other, but I don’t actually know your names…?”

“I’m Renfri,” the brunette introduced herself, smiling. She held out her hand to Jaskier and he shook it. “This is our apprentice, Pavetta.”

“Nice to meet you both,” he said, also shaking Pavetta’s hand. “I let some bananas get way too ripe,” he explained, placing a box containing two thirds of the bread on the counter. “So, I made banana bread and thought you ladies might like some.”

“YEN!” Renfri shouted back over her shoulder, startling Jaskier, “Your florist is here!” 

A crash emanated from behind the closed kitchen door that made Pavetta snort a laugh. The kitchen door opened, and Yennefer appeared looking cool and collected. Her lips turned up into a smile when her eyes landed on Jaskier and Jaskier couldn’t help but smile back. 

“Julian!” she exclaimed, walking towards him, “It’s nice to see you.”

“He can stay,” Sabrina said, looking up from her client. “He’s brought us banana bread.” 

“I’ve just put on a pot of tea if you want some?” Yennefer asked him, not acknowledging Sabrina.

“Is that what that crash was?” Pavetta asked, eyebrows raised. 

“I have travel mugs and my next client isn’t until half three so we could go for a walk, if you liked? Means we don’t have to hang around with this rabble,” she said, looking very pointedly at Renfri and Sabrina.

“That would be lovely, thank you,” Jaskier said before hurrying to say to Renfri, “not that don’t want to spend time with you. I think you’re all lovely and I don’t want you to think that I think yo-”

“We know, Jaskier,” Renfri smiled, taking pity on him and his runaway mouth. “It’s okay.”

“How do you take your tea?” Yennefer asked.

“Milk, no sugar, please.”

“I’ll be back in a second,” Yennefer told him before hissing something at Renfri that Jaskier couldn’t catch over the noise of the tattoo guns. 

Renfri threw back her head and laughed. “I always behave,” she called. Yennefer threw her the middle finger before she disappeared back into the kitchen. 

Jaskier was about to sit down on one of the sofas when the remaining artist, who had to be Triss, looked up from her client to fix him with a stare. “So, are you single and into women, Jaskier?”

“FOR FUCKS SAKE! TRISS!” Yennefer screeched from the kitchen.

“Someone’s in trouble,” Renfri sing-songed, leaning back in her chair.

“Erm, yes and yes?” Jaskier answered. Starting to feel uncomfortable he threw his thumb over his shoulder and said, “I’m going to wait outside.”

“NO!” Renfri, Triss, Sabrina and Pavetta exclaimed, sounding genuinely panicked. Pavetta had even put her hands out like he was a scared animal. 

“Please don’t, we’ll behave, we’re just being shits to wind Yen up,” Renfri said in a hurry. “I’m sorry that to wind Yen up it was at your expense. You came over here to give us cake and we’re behaving abhorrently. Please forgive us, I promise we won’t do it again.”

“Oh, yes, okay. Erm, I forgive you?” he said, unsure but willing to not take it too personally. “I’ve definitely done similar things to my best friend.” 

“Thank you,” Renfri smiled.

Yennefer exited the kitchen then, coat on and a travel mug in each hand. She ignored the other Chaos ladies as she walked past them, handed Jaskier his cup and then went straight for the door. 

“It was lovely to meet you all, finally. Enjoy the banana bread,” he said before following Yennefer outside.

“Nice to meet you too,” Renfri called, “See you in a bit, Yen!”

“Go fuck yourself,” Yennefer shouted back as the door closed behind them. They started strolling down the street. Not entirely sure what to do, Jaskier suggested they walk around a nearby park. Yennefer nodded in agreement. 

They walked in silence for a little while. Jaskier was struggling with the urge to say something but he wasn’t sure what. Yennefer was clearly annoyed at her friends because of what they’d said to him. However even if they had been completely overstepping, the implications of what they’d been saying made them the best things he’d heard all day, even if they had made him feel uncomfortable. 

When they finally reached the entrance to the park the quiet became too much for Jaskier and he blurted, “It’s okay about your friends, I know they were just trying to rile you up. I don’t think any less of you or them or-”

At the same time Yennefer started to say, “Julian, they completely overstepped their bounds and I’m so sorry if they made you feel uncomfortable. I’m going to chew them all a new one when I get back-”

Jaskier stopped talking at the same time Yennefer did and they shared a laugh and a smile before Yennefer’s smile faded and she said again, “Julian, I really am sorry for the way they behaved.”

“It’s okay,” he smiled.

“No, it’s not,” she said seriously. “You’re always welcome in the shop. The last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable because they think they’re being funny!”

“Renfri apologised and I accepted. Thank you for apologising again though, I do appreciate it. I promise it won’t stop me from coming into the shop,” he reassured her, giving her a small smile. 

Jaskier took them on a loop around the park that would have them back at their own shops by three. He traded stories with Yennefer about their worst customers. Yennefer’s were far worse than he’d ever had to deal with, they horrified him. People thinking it was acceptable to imply that they’d take her out for dinner and then bed her as payment for work, people passing out and pissing themselves half way through a tattoo, having to deal with people who were high out of their minds coming into the shop and screaming the place down, people relentlessly hitting on her. He just had to deal with rude people who didn’t think they needed to make large orders more than the night before they were required the flowers. 

It made Jaskier feel better about him always seeming to be one step from total embarrassment when he was around Yennefer. He could flirt, usually very well, and had never struggled to find a bed partner but as soon as he was in front of Yennefer the ability went out the window. However, it didn’t seem like it was a bad thing, so he was coming to terms with it. Priscilla had teased him that it was probably because he really liked Yennefer, rather than it being his usual passing flight of fancy type feelings. He thought Priscilla was probably right even if he didn’t like to think about it too much.

Conversation flowed between them easily and the time passed quickly, before Jaskier knew it they were back outside of Chaos Tattoos. Yennefer stopped outside the door and placed her hand on his forearm, squeezing gently. “I really enjoyed this,” she told him, “we should do it again.”

“Yes, absolutely!” Jaskier agreed, a touch more enthusiastic than he was aiming for. However, it made Yennefer smile, so he decided not to care. “I take my lunch break at two usually because I always get a bit of a lunchtime rush from people on their own lunch hours. I know your schedule is much more varied so if you want to, feel free to come over whenever you’re free for like ten past two? Just then it gives me time to eat my lunch. We could maybe...even...go out for lunch...together...at some point...just if you fancied?” 

“I’d like that,” Yennefer answered, squeezing his arm again. Jaskier felt a flood of relief pass through him so strong his legs felt shaky. 

“Right, great!” he nodded, making Yennefer laugh, which made him smile, which made Yennefer smile, which made Jaskier’s heart skip a beat. 

“I’ll see you later, Julian,” Yennefer said, she squeezed his arm one last time before letting go and heading into the shop.

“See you…” Jaskier walked back across to Buttercups and Dandelions in a daze.

-oOo-

Over the next few weeks Jaskier went on many lunchtime walks with Yennefer, sometimes the other Chaos ladies would join them, and it was wonderful. He got to know Yennefer and the women she worked with. Jaskier found out their motivations for becoming tattoo artists, their reasons interesting and varied. Yennefer, it turned out, had become one because she thought there was no better way of making an impression artistically than creating art on a person’s skin, on a living canvas. Jaskier quite liked that, appreciated how resolute it was. Other topics of conversation included everything and nothing, music, movies, Jaskier’s favourite poets, food, Yennefer’s favourite artists, whether they believed in ghosts and aliens, the list went on.

Jaskier told her stories from university and meeting Priscilla, talked about how much he missed his best friend who now lived and worked in a different country. He talked about his grandmother, telling her how important she was to him. One afternoon Jaskier admitted in a quiet voice that his parents were very conservative and hadn’t taken kindly to their only child being proudly bisexual and openly dating a man while he was at university. Jaskier had been estranged from them for nine years and his grandmother had supported him through all of it. Yennefer had placed her hand in the crook of his elbow, providing him quiet support through the telling of the story and even when he moved onto lighter things, she left her hand there. 

In turn, Yennefer told him stories from when she was growing up. She had many brothers and sisters, so they hadn’t had a lot of money and there were always younger siblings who got all of the attention. It had left her quite independent. She’d worked from the age of fifteen, in cafes mostly and studied fine art at university. Yennefer talked about being obsessed with tattoos as she’d grown up, so in her second year started researching artists and looking at apprenticeships. _You don’t just apply for a tattoo apprenticeship_ , she’d told him, _you have to graft in the shop for them first to show that you’re committed._ Yennefer had found a female artist named Tissaia who she wanted to apprentice too. So, she just started hanging out in the shop and they eventually put her to work and about six months after she’d graduated Tissaia offered her an apprenticeship. It was a hard three years, but it was worth it. She’d helped convince Tissaia to take on Triss and they’d both continued to work in the shop up until Renfri had offered them spots at Chaos Tattoos. 

By late spring they were going for lunch every Friday if Yennefer’s schedule allowed it and for walks at least twice a week. The warm weather meant that Yennefer was wearing less layers against the cold and even started wearing short sleeves on particularly warm days, meaning Jaskier finally got to see the tattoos on her arms. He didn’t outright stare at them, but he would covertly look whenever the opportunity presented itself. The red rose on the back of her right hand was just the bottom of a full sleeve of flower tattoos. Roses, lilies, forget-me-nots, lotus and hibiscus flowers, peonies and more of all different colours decorated her skin. The mandala on her left hand led into a sleeve of Van Gogh paintings that transitioned into one another seamlessly. On the lower part of her arm Jaskier had spied _Sunflowers_ and _Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette_ as well as many other florals and the upper half of her arm was completely covered with _Starry Night_. Jaskier didn’t ask, but one day in the future he hoped he’d get the opportunity to look at them a little closer. 

With all the time they spent together, Jaskier’s feelings for Yennefer only grew. She was funny, intelligent and charming. There was a sharpness to her that she never directed at Jaskier, but he would see it when he saw her interact with people who’d annoyed her or when she was recounting a story where she’d been annoyed. Her anger flowed through her, shining from her eyes and in the harshness of her voice. Jaskier respected her anger. 

Every time Jaskier saw Yennefer his heart would skip a beat before pounding against his ribcage. She regularly left him breathless by continuing to call him Julian. He almost stabbed himself with his secateurs the first time he saw her without her purple contacts, her hazel eyes completely catching him off guard. The butterflies in his stomach were so strong they made him feel sick but in the best way. The days he didn’t see her he felt almost morose and his heart ached. The days he did see her, even hours later he still felt on top of the world. 

Jaskier had fallen very hard and very fast but sly comments from the Chaos ladies gave him hope that his feelings were at least somewhat reciprocated. Yennefer touched him a lot too, and when he told Priscilla about it during their monthly video call, she was sure Yennefer was making moves on him. With each passing day the urge to kiss her only grew. Yennefer had never gone into detail about old clients who’d assumed too much or ex boyfriends but Jaskier could read between the lines, so despite his ever-growing feelings he didn’t say or do anything. Deciding that Yennefer had to be the one to take what they had between them to the next level. Jaskier wasn’t going to push it, he was happy to wait and be patient for as long as it took. 

Sometimes he thought Yennefer was almost testing him. Purposefully trying to goad him to see how he’d react to certain statements and actions, from herself and from others. Jaskier always made sure to answer calmly and truthfully. She continued to want to spend time with him, so Jaskier reasoned with himself that he must have been doing something right.

-oOo-

In early summer Yennefer mentioned that Triss’ birthday was coming up. The plan was to go out for cocktails, karaoke and dancing. Jaskier was invited. Of course, he accepted.

Saturday came around and Yennefer texted him the details of where they were meeting, the time and told him to dress nicely, in case they wanted to go to any clubs with a dress code. Jaskier spent longer than he’d like to admit trying to decide on what to wear but eventually decided on a fitted pair of navy blue trousers that he knew made his arse look good, a long sleeved white shirt that was patterned with _Monstera_ leaves with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and brown dress shoes. He sent a picture of himself to Priscilla, who gave it her seal of approval.

When he arrived at the cocktail bar the Chaos ladies were thankfully already there, sat at a big booth table with some other men and women. He was introduced to them in turn. Some were friends of Triss’, who’d travelled to the city for the weekend for the occasion. Renfri’s boyfriend, Geralt, was there, a unit of a man with white hair who only grunted when they were introduced. As well as Pavetta’s boyfriend, Duny, who was much more talkative and Sabrina’s girlfriend, Anica, who was also lovely. Yennefer wasn’t with them and before he could even finish his sentence asking where she was Sabrina pointed him towards the bar. He smiled, thanked her and then went to find Yennefer.

She had her back to him, but he would recognise her anyway. Her black hair was up in an intricate knot. Yennefer was wearing a long-sleeved, form-fitting black dress that went down to her knees, exposing a set of pin-up girl tattoos, one on each calf. She also had high heels on, so when she turned to him, they were at eyelevel with each other.

“Julian!” Yennefer exclaimed, her red lips stretching into a smile and her purple eyes softening as she drew Jaskier into a hug. They stood out even more than usual against the black eyeshadow she’d used for the evening. 

Jaskier was overtaken by the urge to kiss her, to smear that perfectly applied lipstick all over her face and his. He didn’t, merely held her a little tighter, arms wrapped around her waist and enjoyed the lilacs and gooseberries scent of her perfume. When Jaskier pulled back, arms dropping back down to his sides, he couldn’t help but say, “Yennefer you look b-”

“Beautiful,” she sneered. It was not the first time she’d scoffed at the word, but he’d never asked her about it. Maybe he would with a little liquid courage. 

“Breath-taking,” he finished, and Yennefer’s face slackened momentarily before her ears started to turn pink and Jaskier could tell she was trying hard not to smile. “Stunning,” he continued, pressing his advantage, “absolutely glorious.”

She gave him that wonderful smile again and Jaskier silently patted himself on the back. “You don’t look too bad yourself. And may I ask, when did you get so smooth,” she teased, and it was Jaskier’s turn to blush.

“Honestly?” he laughed self-deprecatingly, “I never had any trouble talking to women until I met you.” He reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, “You just, and you still do, I might add very regularly, leave me utterly witless.”

“Oh, I do, do I, Julian?” Yennefer purred, tilting her head, grin turning sly.

“Yes,” Jaskier stated, quite plainly. “Get some drinks in me and I’ll happily bear my soul to you don’t worry.”

“We should have gone out drinking weeks ago!” Yennefer laughed. 

She turned back to the bar so as not lose her place in the queue. It was two for one that evening on certain cocktails, so Yennefer ordered two Mojitos and Jaskier ordered two Long Island Iced Teas and then they swapped so they had one of each. 

Everyone squeezed themselves together in the booth to make room for Jaskier and Yennefer. It was tight so Jaskier used it as an excuse to wrap an arm around Yennefer’s shoulders. The move did not go unnoticed if the smirks Pavetta and Renfri shot him were anything to go by. The way Yennefer pressed herself further into his side though made him think she didn’t mind in the slightest. 

The group had another couple of rounds of cocktails before heading to the karaoke place around the corner. Jaskier noticed happily that he wasn’t the only one who was tipsy, everyone slightly louder and gesturing more wildly than normal. Even Geralt seemed to be relaxing slightly. 

Jaskier was walking with Yennefer and Triss. He and Yennefer were walking so closely, their hands kept brushing. Feeling bold because of the alcohol, heart beating wildly in his chest, Jaskier intertwined his fingers with Yennefer’s and squeezed gently. Yennefer didn’t stop her conversation with Triss, just squeezed back. Jaskier had to stop himself from fist pumping with relief and happiness. 

The karaoke bar wasn’t big, but it was very busy so those of the group who wanted to sing immediately signed up for songs. When Yennefer asked him what he was going to sing Jaskier wouldn’t tell her, he wanted it to be a surprise. The idea had come to him earlier that day and he was a little nervous about it but excited all the same. In retaliation she wouldn’t tell him what song she and Triss had decided to duet but assured everyone they were going to love it. Both women seemed very excited to perform, Yennefer talked very animatedly about how it had been ages since they’d done their ‘routine’. Jaskier was intrigued to say the least. 

Slips handed in, they all got drinks, continued to chat, danced a little and joined in on other people’s songs. Renfri was called up first, apologised to everyone in advance before delivering a wonderfully awful version of Black Velvet, her sheer enthusiasm eclipsing the fact that she couldn’t sing. Others of their group were called up, Sabrina went up and sang a fantastic rendition of One and Only by Adele, and Pavetta’s boyfriend, Duny, belted out ABBA’s Dancing Queen, leaving them all in stitches. 

More drinks were had, and Yennefer was verging on drunk when she and Triss were called up. Jaskier was left grinning as she smacked a kiss to his cheek, heedless of ruining her make-up before she and Triss slipped away to get microphones from the DJ. Jaskier didn’t know what he was expecting. It was not Yennefer and Triss singing C’est la Vie and doing the dance from Pulp Fiction. 

In the film, Mia and Vincent removed their shoes before they dance. Not those two, Jaskier was worried one of them was going to twist an ankle while twisting around up on the stage. Yennefer looked like she was having a blast though and Jaskier couldn’t take his eyes off her as she danced Mia’s part and sang her heart out. Her voice was high and sweet and not what he was expecting at all, but he couldn’t deny that it was absolutely lovely. Seeing her up there, having such a good time, hearing her sing, it made Jaskier’s heart ache, all he wanted to do was to hold her and never let go. 

Jaskier watched her as she and Triss finished up the song and handed the microphones back. Everyone was cheering, clearly very impressed with the show they’d put on. Jaskier was still clapping when Yennefer returned, smiling wide with elation and he couldn’t help but return it. Once she was close enough to him, Jaskier wrapped his arms around her waist and said, “That was amazing, you’re amazing,” into her ear. He wanted to kiss her, wanted to worship her and the ground she stood on.

“There you go being smooth again,” she replied, breath fanning over his ear in a way that made him shiver.

Jaskier was about to say something in return when the DJ called his name. Yennefer pulled away with a grin and then shoved him towards the DJ booth. As soon as he had the microphone he started to speak, “Yennefer this one is for you. I know you love this song even if you like to pretend you don’t like pop music, I’m sorry for outing your secret love of The Jonas Brothers. Also, I hope you don’t think this is too much.”

“ _JULIAN!_ ” he heard Yennefer shriek followed by laughter from their group. 

He could only smile at her as he started to sing What a Man Gotta Do. Jaskier could see her even in the shitty bar lights. She wasn’t annoyed, thankfully, in fact she looked shocked. Had he not mentioned that he could sing? Jaskier knew he’d told her he’d studied music and been in bands, but he supposed hearing and seeing were two different things. The chorus kicked in and he started dancing, likely making an absolute fool of himself but he didn’t care because he could see that it was making her laugh. As Jaskier was finishing up the chorus before the instrumental, he pointed at Yennefer and gestured for her to come up onto the stage with him. Happily, she did, looking amused if not slightly sceptical. 

As soon as Yennefer had both feet on the stage, Jaskier took her hand and started dancing. Using the few salsa steps he remembered from the awful classes he’d taken at university, he spun Yennefer around the stage, into him and back out again, spinning around with her at times, singing when the lyrics picked up again. She laughed the entire time. As the song ended, he timed his final move to spin Yennefer right into him, her free hand landing on his chest and he could feel her panting against him. The seemed to air crackle between them.

There was a pause, a beat of silence as the song ended and then people started clapping and cheering, the Chaos ladies being particularly loud. Jaskier said thank you into the microphone, took Yennefer’s hand and then returned the mic to the DJ. They were halfway back to their group when Yennefer pulled Jaskier to a stop, turning him around and clutching at his elbows. “Are you alright?” Jaskier asked.

“Julian…” she breathed, biting her lower lip and appearing to fight a battle with herself as her gaze dropped down to Jaskier’s lips. “I really want to kiss you,” she admitted, looking almost nervous, as if the words she’d just uttered hadn’t skyrocket Jaskier into the stratosphere with pure elation. “But we’re drunk,” she continued, “I don’t want the first time I kiss you to be when we’re drunk.”

Jaskier fell back to Earth but he didn’t crash down. It was fine that Yennefer wanted to wait, if anything it was better that she wanted to wait. “That’s totally fine. I’d rather wait,” he agreed, “I also really want to kiss you too, so much, just so you know. Even the other day when you had no make-up on and your hair was all scraped up on top of your head and you were wearing those coffee stained sweatpants and you were grumpy because your client was being a twat, even then I really wanted to kiss you a lot. I’m trying to say that yes I want to kiss you when you look absolutely exquisite, like right now, wait, no, I’m trying to say I always think you look absolutely marvellous and I always want to kiss you but right now you just look even gorgeous then normal but you do always look gorgeous...You’ve short circuited my brain again and the fact that your smile has just grown and grown while I’ve monologued at you isn’t helping. You really do have a lovely smile though, more than lovely even, it’s absolutely bewitching really.” 

“You’re really not helping my resolve not to kiss you,” Yennefer beamed at him before laughing. 

“Shall we get another drink?”

“Yes, lets,” she took his hand and pulled him past their friends to the bar. 

They chatted while they waited to be served. Yennefer was talking animatedly about a large back piece she was designing when she stiffened, her face clouded, and her eyes blazed with fury.

“Yennefer?” Jaskier frowned.

Without any warning she turned around and slapped the man who’d taken the space at the bar behind Yennefer moments before she’d stiffened. “How fucking dare you touch me!” she screamed at him and Jaskier felt his stomach drop.

The man didn’t even have to gall to look sorry. Instead he smirked at Yennefer, looked her up and down in a way that made his skin crawl, so he couldn’t even imagine how it made Yennefer feel. “It’s your own fault for being so fucking beautiful, isn’t it?” he drawled. Things slotted into place in Jaskier’s mind.

Yennefer shoved him back, let out a cry worthy of a battlefield and started forwards. Jaskier lurched after her to stop her from killing the man, although he deserved it. Jaskier didn’t particularly want to manhandle her so he loosely wrapped his arms over the top of hers and planted his feet so she couldn’t get any further. “Julian,” she snarled, but the fight went out of her and she slumped backwards into his chest. 

“If I’d known she was spoken for I wouldn’t have touched her, sorry mate,” the guy said, shrugging his shoulders as if to say _what can you do?_

Jaskier saw red and found himself shouting, “You shouldn’t have touched her because you shouldn’t touch women, or anyone for that matter, without their consent you fucking scumbag!” The arsehole looked like he was starting to get angry and caught up in his own anger, Jaskier let Yennefer go. 

Between one blink and the next Yennefer had hooked the guy in the jaw and then punched him in the gut, he slumped onto the bar. “No one speaks for me,” she snarled, kneeing him in the balls. 

Jaskier noticed one of the bartenders coming towards them, looking serious, so when Yennefer drew back her arm to throw another punch, he gently wrapped his hand around her wrist. “We need to go,” he said, not letting any of the anger he was feeling colour his tone and nodding towards the bartender. 

“Fine!” she growled, wrenching her hand from his grip and stalking away from him. Jaskier followed her and caught the tail end of her telling Renfri and Sabrina what had happened before she was off again towards the doors. 

“Go with her, I’ll gather the others,” Renfri said. “Meet you outside.”

Jaskier nodded and quickly followed Yennefer, catching up with her on the stairs down to the exit, her speed hindered because of her shoes. He wanted to offer her his arm but thought best not too as rage emanated from her in almost physical waves. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, he nodded to the bouncers and then walked with Yennefer away from the doors. She stopped but then started the pace. Jaskier wanted to say something but he didn’t know what. 

“How dare he,” she hissed after a minute of pacing, “how dare he touch me!”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Jaskier asked because he was still coming up blank. 

“I know,” she ploughed on, “that it is not my fault but when it happens, you still feel like it’s your fault.”

“Of course it wasn’t your fault,” he agreed gently.

“I know! Weren’t you listening!” she stopped to stare at him, eye’s utterly wild.

“Yes, sorry,” Jaskier held his hands up placatingly.

“I was having such a good time, with everyone, with you.” Yennefer took a step towards Jaskier. “Now I feel disgusting!” 

Yennefer was doing a very good job at keeping herself together, but he could see the cracks. The way her lips turned down at the corners, the twitch of her cheek. Jaskier couldn’t take it anymore and took the risk to step into her space. He caught her eyes to make sure she understood how serious he was before asking, “Can I touch you?”

“Of course,” she answered immediately. Not needing any further encouragement Jaskier wrapped his arms around her and drew her into him, pressing his cheek against hers. “You never have to ask,” she continued, sounding surprised at her own words.

“I mean, I won’t ask all the time but there will be plenty of times when I do,” he told her, starting to run a hand up and down her spine when she shivered against him.

“That’s why you don’t have to ask,” she breathed in his ear. 

Jaskier held her for a while longer before saying, “I’m sorry some men are entitled bastards.”

“It’s not your fault,” she snorted, knocking her temple into his lightly. 

“I know this is probably a stupid question, but will you be alright?”

“I won’t let it ruin the night.” He could feel her shoulders shrugging.

“I don’t care about the night,” Jaskier said with a frown, pulling back so he could look Yennefer in the eyes without letting her go. “I care that you’re okay.”

Jaskier was glad to see Yennefer think about her answer, that she trusted him with the truth, before she finally nodded and whispered, “I’ll be okay.” 

Yennefer lifted a hand and pressed it to Jaskier’s cheek, he leaned into the warm touch. It made his skin tingle and his eyes fluttered closed as everything momentarily homed in on that point of contact. Jaskier opened his eyes and stared into hers before turning his head to kiss her palm. He was gratified to see her breath hitch at the gesture. 

The rest of their group spilled out of the bar then and the Chaos ladies made a beeline for Yennefer. Yennefer turned sideways in his hold so she could look at them properly but made no move to leave the circle of his arms. They all checked that Yennefer was alright and swore about the arsehole who’d groped Yennefer using words that would put sailors to shame. Triss was happy to end the night there, go for food and then head home but Yennefer wouldn’t have it, stating very clearly that she wanted a good dance. 

With that decided, they headed off as a group to a club that Renfri had recommended to Triss. The group walked at a meandering pace, not in a hurry to get their fast. It was a nice night, warm, likely helped by their alcohol jackets but nevertheless warm. Jaskier walked beside Yennefer, held one of her hands in both of his and played with her fingers, drawing errant giggles from her. 

“Can I ask you something?” Jaskier wondered lowly.

“Yes, but I reserve the right not to answer,” Yennefer answered, her shoulders tensing. 

“Why do you call me Julian? Don’t get me wrong, I like it, a lot actually, but I’m curious.”

Whatever question she was expecting, that wasn’t it. Her shoulders relaxed, her lips pulled up in the corners and her ears pinked. “You said that everyone called you Jaskier...I didn’t want to be everyone.” 

The admonition made Jaskier’s heart soar and he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Even back then? We’d only just met,” he fished.

She shot him a playful glare before continuing, “When we were talking about the plants and you said that with a bit of watering they’d look beautiful again...I was so expecting you to follow that up with some sleazy pick-up line about how I looked, but you didn’t and that was so unbelievably refreshing and endearing. Then you just continued to be refreshing and endearing.”

“I will do my very best to forever be a tall glass of water for you then,” he smirked, vowing to never call Yennefer beautiful.

“Oh, thanks,” she laughed, knocking her shoulder against his. 

The rest of the walk was spent in comfortable silence, trading smiles, purposely bumping into one another and squeezing each other’s hands. Jaskier felt like he was floating, merry in that uniquely alcohol induced way. When they reached the club, they joined the back of the queue. Music was bleeding through the walls, getting louder periodically as the bouncers let people in and out. Jaskier stood behind Yennefer as she chatted to Pavetta and Duny, arms around her waist, chin resting on her shoulder. Occasionally he’d contribute to the conversation but for the most part he was just enjoying being wrapped around Yennefer. His mind kept circling back around to the fact that she called him Julian because she didn’t want to be like everyone else. It made him want to do something similar, have a name for her that only he used. 

It didn’t take long before their group was the next in the queue. Then finally they were being allowed through the doors and into the darkness. Jaskier could feel the bass booming in his chest and through the soles of his feet, lights were flashing, and the room was filled with undulating bodies. After a quick trip to the bar they joined the fray of dancers. Jaskier immersed himself in the music. He swayed his hips from side to side and used his arms to throw ridiculous shapes because it was making Yennefer laugh. Renfri appeared with a tray of shots and everything devolved from there. 

Trying not to kiss Yennefer. Tequila at the bar with the Chaos ladies. Stumbling into the men’s bathroom with Duny and Geralt. Sitting at a table in the smoking area with Yennefer on his lap, arms around her waist because one of Triss’ friends had wanted a cigarette and they didn’t want to split the group up. The feeling of Yennefer’s body against his as they danced together, his front pressed to her back, one arm wrapped around her, fingers spread, a drink he didn’t remember buying clutched in his other hand as they rolled together. Standing outside of the club foreheads pressed together, noses brushing, breathing the same air and adamantly not kissing one another. Walking down the pavement, backwards so he could look Yennefer full in the face as he loudly recited E.E. Cummings to her, “In time of daffodils, who know the goal of living is to grow, forgetting why, remember how in time of lilacs who proclaim the aim of waking is to dream....” 

Waiting for their food in a twenty-four hour greasy spoon café and whispering Rupi Kaur in her ear, “God must have kneaded you and I from the same dough…” Feeding Yennefer chips. Pressing kiss after kiss to her cheeks while she giggled as they waited for a taxi. Receiving forehead kisses from Triss and Renfri, a handshake from Geralt and a final kiss on the cheek from Yennefer as he got out of the taxi. Kicking off his shoes. Forcing himself to drink two pints of water. Replying to Yennefer’s _I’m home safe_ text with too many heart eyes emojis to count. Turning the overhead light off and falling into bed. Deciding what he wanted to call Yennefer, a name just for him, just as only she used Julian. Getting out of bed to turn the lamp in the corner of the room on because everything was spinning. Falling asleep to the image of Yennefer behind his closed eyes.

-oOo-

Jaskier spent Sunday hungover and texting Yennefer. He ached with every part of his being to see her, to hold her in his arms again, to kiss her. However, they both agreed that as well as not being drunk for their first kiss, being horrifically hungover was also not acceptable. Jaskier wanted to be her last first kiss, he was going to make it a good one. It was only a tiny part of what she deserved.

Dandelions and Buttercups was always closed on Sundays and Mondays, whereas Chaos Tattoos was always only closed on Sundays, it was then up the artists to decide which day of the week they wanted off and schedule their appointments accordingly. Yennefer always had Thursday’s off because she liked the midweek break, but she didn’t have any appointments on the Monday afternoon. So, he arranged to meet her at the shop at half one for their first official date, lunch followed by the aquarium. Jaskier spent the rest of the day wishing time would move just a little faster.

-oOo-

When Jaskier arrived at Chaos Tattoos Yennefer was cleaning and disassembling her workstation. Even from across the room, Jaskier noticed she hadn’t worn her contacts, her eyes their natural hazel. Sabrina was at the counter drawing on a tablet so after calling a hello to the ladies he chatted with Sabrina about their monster Sunday hangovers while Yennefer finished up. As soon as Yennefer was done, she said her goodbyes to the others and then stepped up to Jaskier’s side, intertwining her fingers with his. He squeezed them gently and smiled down at her, back at her normal height since she wasn’t wearing heels. It was tempting to kiss her right then and there, but he restrained himself, he wanted to make it special, something Yennefer would remember for the right reasons.

First, they went for lunch at a restaurant Yennefer had mentioned she’d wanted to try. The aquarium was on the same side of the city as their shops, so hunger sated they walked there. They chatted about the enjoyable parts of Saturday night and the shows they’d binge-watched while hungover on Sunday. Jaskier had paid for lunch so Yennefer paid for their tickets into the aquarium.

Having lived in the city all his life, he’d been to the aquarium many times whereas it was Yennefer’s first visit. As it was the beginning of not only a work and a school week the place was practically empty. It meant they could get right up to the tanks and spend as long as they wanted looking at each animal. Jaskier took great pleasure in watching Yennefer see the tanks for the first time. The way she marvelled at the anemones, smiled at the rays and pointed excitedly at the octopus. Of course, Jaskier enjoyed the exhibits too, it had been at least six months since his last visited with his grandmother, but he enjoyed watching Yennefer more. 

They made their way around slowly, Jaskier growing steadily more nervous. When they reached the tunnel that went underneath the shark tank Jaskier stopped Yennefer midway along it. His heart began to race in his chest as they stood side by side, watching the sharks, rays and other fish drift passed peacefully above and around them, alone in the tunnel. Even knowing that Yennefer wanted to kiss him, Jaskier still had to steel himself with a quiet but deep breath. 

“Yenna,” Jaskier murmured, placing a hand on the small of Yennefer’s back.

“Yes?” she asked, lowering her eyes from a passing lemon shark to meet his. It took her moment, but she registered what he’d called her and raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

“Everyone either calls you Yennefer or Yen, I didn’t want to be everyone,” he told her, moving into her space. 

She smiled at his imitation of her own words and he couldn’t help but smile back, pleased. Jaskier stood directly in front of her, and Yennefer tilted her head back to look up at him. He kept the hand he’d placed on the small of her back loose enough that she could break away from him if she wanted to. He raised his other and touched her cheek, whisper soft, running his knuckles along her cheekbone, down the side of her face and then along her jaw, coming to stop under her chin. He didn’t grasp or hold, just supported her. 

Jaskier stared into those hazel eyes, searching for any sign of hesitance or disquiet but there was none. He looked down at Yennefer’s lips, telegraphing his intent and looked back up again, just to double check-

“Oh, for fucks sake, Julian,” Yennefer huffed before taking his head in both of her hands, pulling him down to her and kissing him soundly on the lips. 

He let out an embarrassingly startled noise that was somewhere between a yelp and groan at the press of her soft lips against his. After a moment his brain kicked back into gear and he kissed her back earnestly, dropping the hand he’d had under her chin to wrap around her back and pull her against him. The feeling of her body pressed against his was lighting him up on the inside. Jaskier wasn’t sure how long they stood there, completely caught up in one another.

A loud cough from one end of the tunnel startled them apart. Jaskier turned in the direction of the noise and saw an old couple, hand in hand, watching a shark swim passed them. The old woman turned to look at them and winked before returning her attention to the shark. Jaskier felt his cheeks begin to heat. He looked at Yennefer and they shared a breathless laugh. Unable to help himself, Jaskier pressed another quick kiss to Yennefer’s lips before taking her hand and starting down the tunnel again. His lips tingled for the rest of the afternoon.

-oOo-

Jaskier and Yennefer continue to go out for lunch and for strolls around the park. The other Chaos ladies joined with more frequency and sometimes Jaskier went for walks with them without Yennefer. Sometimes on Saturdays they’d all go out for casual drinks that sometimes became not so casual. He started thinking of them as his friends and it was really nice. For a long time, Jaskier had only really had Priscilla and they’d not lived in the same country for years.

He and Yennefer went on dates. Trips to the countryside for Sunday dinner, movies, the theatre. He tried to make Yennefer dinner one evening but using a recipe he’d never looked at before until that night. It had been a spectacular failure and they’d ended up ordering a take-away. 

They kissed a lot, but it only went as far as some over the clothes heavy petting. Jaskier got the impression Yennefer was testing him again, he didn’t mind. Her comfort was much more important to him then his cock would ever be. Slowly but surely, she laid out boundaries. Jaskier could touch the nape of her neck with his hands but he was not allowed to touch the front of her neck at all, although he could kiss it. He could run his fingers through her hair and let his hands rest on her head, but he wasn’t allowed to pull or tug on it or try to move her head using it. No matter how lightly or playfully he meant it, Jaskier was not allowed to spank her. Jaskier accepted all the boundaries she set without hesitation, but he could see her waiting for him to breach them. He didn’t care, knowing that his actions over time would instil more trust in her then trying to reassure her with words ever would. One day she’d realise the other shoe wasn’t going to drop because there was no other shoe and Jaskier would patiently wait for that day.

A few weeks after their first kiss Yennefer invited Jaskier to stay at her flat for the first time. He’d yet to see Yennefer’s living space, they spent most of their time at his place because that’s what she wanted, so he was looking forward to it. He packed an overnight bag and took it into work with him. Jaskier’s shop closed an hour earlier than Chaos Tattoos so once he was done for the day he went across the road and waited in the tattoo parlour for her. Renfri made him tea and sat in the waiting area with him, talking about a book series they had mutual interest in while Yennefer finished up for the day. 

It was a twenty minute walk to her apartment complex and Jaskier was shocked to find that the place was a fortress. There was an outer gate that required a key code, the front door into the building required a different key code, the lift required a physical key to access, and then Yennefer had another key for the front door of her fourth floor flat. Jaskier didn’t ask but it made his blood boil that she felt the need to have so many layers of protection on her home to feel safe. 

Yennefer’s flat was lovely, white walls, wood floors and high ceilings, he spotted a few of the succulents she’d taken from him that first day dotted around the place. It had a large open plan kitchen, dining room, living room area with a door off to the side that led through to her bedroom and an adjoining bathroom. She took his bag from him and very pointedly took it into the bedroom for him. That night they watched television in their pyjamas, ate frozen pizzas for dinner and cuddled on the sofa, occasionally trading soft kisses. They went to bed just before midnight, sharing one for the first time. Jaskier held Yennefer in the darkness, they were both still wearing their pyjamas, and he was hyper aware of her. 

“I... I want to say something,” Yennefer whispered into the crook of his neck, breath fanning across his skin. “It’s easier...in the darkness.”

“Okay, but whatever it is, tell me because you want to not because you feel like you have to,” Jaskier said gently, running a hand up and down her spine.

“No, I want too,” she replied before falling silent. He didn’t push her, just waited, knowing she’d tell him when she was ready. “I’ve not really trusted a man for so long,” she eventually murmured. “I didn’t think I could anymore, not fully anyway. But I- I do...trust you Julian, with everything and that’s sort of terrifying...for me. And I really appreciate your patience. I- I... cherish it even. I’ve been winding you up for weeks and you’ve never pushed me for more or complained and it’s just been amazing to experience.”

“Thank you for telling me that,” he breathed, pressing a kiss to her hair and trying to remain calm in the face of the weight and severity of what she’d just told him. His heart was thundering in his chest and his throat ached. “I can’t even express what having your trust means to me. I promise to do my very best to always be worthy of it. Continuing to be as patient as you need me to be is just the tip of that iceberg. I adore you, Yenna.” 

Yennefer didn’t reply with words, instead she lifted herself up and drew him into a soft kiss, cupping his cheek with the hand she wasn’t using to hold herself up. She ran the pad of her thumb across his cheekbone and Jaskier felt it like a trail of fire across his skin. He tightened his grip on her and pulled her higher up his body. He ran his tongue along the seam of her closed lips, asking permission, and she opened for him, letting him press his tongue gently to hers. 

Eventually Yennefer pulled away and settled back down on Jaskier’s chest. They were both panting, and she could no doubt hear Jaskier’s heart pounding beneath her ear. He started to card his fingers through her hair, keeping the movements ever so delicate so he didn’t pull it on accident. She made content little noises in the back of her throat at the attention, Jaskier wasn’t even sure she was aware she was making them. They made him smile into the darkness. Yennefer’s breathing evened out as she fell asleep and Jaskier soon followed her

-oOo-

Jaskier woke first, and despite it not being his flat made them breakfast, easily finding everything he needed for tea and scrambled eggs on toast. The looks of shocked surprise followed by utter happiness Yennefer gave him when he woke her with breakfast in bed made butterflies erupt in his stomach. They ate, showered and got ready for the day separately. Jaskier has just finished making more tea for them both when Yennefer exited her bedroom wearing a white sundress, her bare feet padding quietly against the wooden floors, her hair was wet.

His breath caught. She looked utterly stunning in the morning light streaming through the big windows. A swirl of emotions bubbled up in his chest and lodged in his throat. Jaskier abandoned the tea and quickly crossed the room to her. Cupping Yennefer’s cheeks he pressed his lips to hers, letting the desperate, overwhelmed edge of his emotions bleed into the kiss. Jaskier could feel her fingers clutching at his back as she kissed him with just as much intensity. After a few minutes of losing themselves in each other, Yennefer pulled back and Jaskier rested his forehead against hers, dropped his hands to her waist. They stood there for a moment, eyes closed, breathing in the same air.

“I want you to fuck me today,” she sighed.

“Oh yeah?” Jaskier asked, opening his eyes. Yennefer’s were still closed, he placed gentle kisses to both her eyelids. 

“Yes,” she whispered.

“I was thinking our first time could be a little more romantic then a fuck,” he suggested, once again resting his forehead against hers. 

“I never cum the first time I’m with someone, so you can save that for another time,” she told him, opening her eyes.

“Hmm,” Jaskier responded, thinking.

“Don’t you ‘hmm’ me, I know my body better than you do,” Yennefer muttered, pulling away from him and stalking over to the sofa, sinking down on it, crossing her legs and looking at him, eyebrows raised.

“I know. I’m sorry,” he said, making sure to sound as sincere as possible.

“I forgive you.”

Jaskier finished making the tea and carried them over to the sofa. Yennefer took hers with a murmur of thanks. He lifted one arm, Yennefer tucked herself into his side and he let his arm fall across her shoulders. She turned on the television and started flicking through the channels, eventually settling on a daytime show about a veterinary surgery in the country. He wasn’t really paying attention to it, thinking instead, wondering. 

When they’d finished their tea Jaskier took their cups and deposited them on the coffee table before turning Yennefer’s head to his with a gentle hand on her cheek and drawing her into a kiss. He started it gently, tender and slowly built its intensity until he and Yennefer were pressing themselves against each other. Jaskier’s arms wrapped around her waist and he felt Yennefer’s hands in his hair as they moved together. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth, caressing hers and he let out a low groan when Yennefer nibbled at his lower lip. 

Jaskier ran a hand up her back and then around to her front, becoming aware of the fact she wasn’t wearing a bra as he cupped her breast. They’d done this before. He massaged her just the way she liked, squeezing softly. He loved her breasts, enjoyed the weight on them in his palms. Jaskier could feel her nipple through the fabric, hard after the little bit of attention, he ran his thumb over it and pinched it gently, making her breath catch. He left her lips behind and started kissing along her jaw to her ear, running his tongue around the shell of it, relishing the breathy sigh Yennefer released at the sensation before kissing down her neck and nipping lightly at the sensitive spot at the juncture of her collarbones before kissing his way back up to her ear. 

“I want to make you cum, Yenna,” he breathed, his own hard cock twitching in his trousers at the thought. “I want to make you cum with my fingers and my mouth right here on your sofa, if you’ll let me. Will you let me?” 

He pulled back to look into her eyes as he ran his fingers up the seam of her crossed legs, up under her dress, stopping just a few inches short of her core. 

“Is this because I said I wouldn’t cum on your cock?” Yennefer panted, her voice was harsh, accusing, but her eyes were gentle, curious.

“Yes,” he answered honestly, letting those hazel eyes bore into him.

“So, what? You think if I cum now then I’ll magically cum later, too?” she snorted, clearly sceptical.

“Something like that, hopefully.”

Jaskier could see her thinking about it, weighing up whether she wanted to let him try what he had in mind. “I reserve the right to say I told you so later,” she said finally, uncrossing her legs and throwing one over his lap.

“Of course,” he agreed before kissing her fiercely. He ran his fingers up and down the inside of her thigh, teasing, each time getting closer and close to her core before dragging them away again. When he did let them travel all the way up, he was shocked to find his fingers meet hair, not cloth like he was expecting. Jaskier let out a low groan as he let his middle finger slip between her folds and found her wet, so wet, because of him.

He ran his finger ever so lightly up and down her, spreading that wetness, barely touching her clit with each pass. Jaskier pulled back to whisper, “How do you like it?” against her lips.

“Soft- _ah_ \- to start,” Yennefer exhaled, her hands clutching at his shoulders.

“And then?” he asked, still running that finger slowly up and down, up and down.

“Faster, at the end- _oh_ \- but not too hard,” she told him before crushing her lips back to his and kissing him frantically. 

Jaskier started to play with her then. He ran the pad of his finger feather light over her clit in slow circles. Yennefer was so wet, but he still let his finger slip down to its source for more, making sure each time to gently run his finger around her entrance to spark the nerves there, enjoying the way her breath hitched every time he did. Jaskier made a decision, and instead of moving to sink down between her legs and use his mouth he continued to play with her clit, keeping everything soft and light until she started tugging at his hair in desperation and gasping between kisses. Jaskier started to move his hand a little faster, pressed down a little harder, but not too hard. He stopped kissing her lips to press hot kisses to a sensitive spot on her neck. He increased the tempo until Yennefer came with a small cry, clutching at him as she clenched on nothing.

He pulled his hand back, rested it on her thigh and leaned back so he could watch her. Yennefer's head was thrown back, her chest was heaving, and her eyes were hazy with pleasure, she looked sublime. After a few moments she smiled up at him lazily. “I thought you were going to use your mouth?” she questioned him, lifting a hand to cup his cheek, running a thumb over his cheekbone.

“I am,” he said, turning his head to kiss her palm. “When did you think you’ll be able to cum again?”

“About an hour,” she answered, lowering her hand so she could run the pad of her thumb over his lips. He drew it into his mouth, sucking lightly for a few moments before releasing it again.

“I am going to use my mouth, in about an hour then,” he told her, drawing her in to continue kissing her senseless.

They were still kissing when he felt her hand cup his aching cock through his trousers, she squeezed gently and then undid the top button. He placed a hand over hers, stopping her progress and pulled back. “You don’t have too,” Jaskier assured her, “I don’t expect it just because I’ve made you cum.”

“I know,” she smiled, “that’s why I want to. Just because you won’t be using your mouth for about an hour doesn’t mean I can’t use mine now.”

Yennefer laughed wickedly at the look on his face, shook his hand off and then continued unzipping him. She stood, and Jaskier opened his legs, swallowing audibly at the sight of her sinking down between his knees. Yennefer took hold of his trousers and underwear and started to pull them down, he lifted himself up and helped her shove them down. His cock sprang free, flushed red and leaking from the tip. Yennefer wrapped her hand around the base and then without any preamble wrapped her lips around his head. Everything tunnelled down after that, he could think of nothing but her mouth on him. 

Jaskier marvelled at the way Yennefer bobbed her head up and down, sucking like her life depended on it while also pumping her hand on what she couldn’t fit in her mouth. It was amazing. Every single atom of his being was focused on the wet heat of Yennefer’s mouth and the pleasure it was giving in him. She started running her tongue around his head with every rise and moving steadily faster. Jaskier could feel him hurtling towards the precipice embarrassingly fast.

“Yenna- _ah_ ” he gasped, letting one of the hands he’d been letting clutch at the sofa cushions gently touch her shoulder. She raised her eyes to him and what a sight that was. Her mouth stretched around his cock, eyes sparkling with enjoyment. “Yenna, I’m going to cum, really soon.”

She hummed against him without stopping, the sound vibrating through him and making him gasp. It didn’t take long after that. Jaskier felt it in his legs first, then his balls drew tight and he came down Yennefer’s throat with a grunt, stars sparkling behind his eyes. She sucked him through it, and it was only when he let out a whimper from the over stimulation that she stopped. He sat there and just breathed, staring at her like she was the sun after a month of darkness. 

She rested her head in his lap and he started carding his fingers through her hair gently. “That was incredible, it was so good, you’re so good,” he babbled, noting the way her eyes fluttered closed at the praise, something to explore later.

-oOo-

About an hour and a half later Jaskier started kissing Yennefer again. He moved her so she was laid back and he was in between her legs, over her, holding himself with one hand while the other ran a path down her side and along the outside of her thigh. He felt her hands slip under the bottom of his t-shirt and blaze a trail up and down his back, through the hair there. He licked into her mouth, caressing his tongue against hers. He let his hand travel towards her core again and ran two fingers between her wet folds to gently tease her clit.

“I can’t wait to taste you,” he whispered against her lips.

“Then get down there and taste me then” she huffed, placing her hands on his shoulders to try and shove him down.

“Impatient,” he tutted, raising an eyebrow.

“You made me cum with one finger earlier, you bet I’m impatient to see what you can do with your tongue,” Yennefer told him. 

She stopped trying to push him down between her legs, took hold of the hand he’d been using to play with her and brought it up to her lips, sucking his fingers into her mouth. It would be a while until he could get hard again, but his cock still gave a half-hearted twitch at the sight anyway. She swirled her tongue around and in between his fingers before releasing them and pulling him down into a kiss, slipping her tongue into his mouth. He could taste her on her own tongue and without another thought he was off the side of the sofa, pulling Yennefer’s hips to the edge as she sat up, a smug smile on her face. 

He pushed up her dress, totally baring her to him. There were flower tattoos totally covering her right thigh and her left was decorated by a large pink flamingo in a guild frame. Jaskier took a moment just to look and enjoy that he was allowed to look and touch and give her pleasure now before hooking her legs over his shoulders and lowering his face to her core. 

He ran his tongue up and down, much like he’d done earlier with his finger, moaning at the taste of her. Jaskier lapped at her entrance, trying to gorge himself on that delicious slickness. One of Yennefer’s hands settled in his hair and he ran his tongue up to her clit, licking and sucking with abandon. Once Jaskier’s immediate desperation to taste Yennefer has passed, he slowed down a little. Not as slow as he’d been earlier but still slower than the frantic pace he’d just let himself run away with. He looked up at Yennefer. She was looking down at him, her pupils dilated, her bottom lip caught between her teeth, face displaying nothing but the pleasure she was feeling. He’d never get enough of this. 

Without stopping his attentions on her clit, Jaskier trailed the fingers of his right hand along the back of her thigh up towards her core before gently pushing his index finger inside her. He stopped at the second knuckle, but it still drew a gasp from Yennefer. He crooked his finger, rubbing its pad against her walls, making her gasp again. Slowly, ever so slowly, Jaskier started moving his finger in and out of her, drawing his finger almost all the way out so he could play with her entrance before pushing it all the way back in, always keeping up that soft drag against her walls. Yennefer let out a curse, her hands tightening in his hair and Jaskier began to increase the pace of both his tongue and his finger. 

Not long after that muttered curse Yennefer came, silently. Her walls clenched around Jaskier’s finger, but he didn’t stop, continuing to pleasure her through her orgasm and the little aftershocks that followed it. Jaskier stopped when she started pulling on his hair, letting his finger slip out of her and sitting back on his heels. 

“Good?” he asked, her legs were still over his shoulders, so he pressed a kiss to the inside of her knee. 

Yennefer hummed her approval as she pulled her legs up onto the sofa and then laid down before making grabby hands at him. He huffed out a laugh, laid down beside her perilously close to the edge. He wrapped his arms around her and then did a bit of a roll and a shuffle so he was lying on his back with Yennefer on his chest. It wasn’t long until they were both asleep.

-oOo-

Jaskier was woken to Yennefer tracing the contours of his face softly with her fingertips, the tenderness of it made his heart ache. They had lunch and went for a walk. Yennefer didn’t put on any underwear and it drove Jaskier a little bit wild with how enticing he found it. When they sat back down to watch some more television Jaskier asked her whether she wanted to use a condom or not. She explained that she was on contraception and was clean so if he knew he was clean they didn’t need to use one, trusting him. He assured her that he was before whispering in her ear that it was up to her, if she wanted to have sex, they would but it was up to her to initiate it.

It was late evening when Yennefer started kissing him with clear intent. She straddled him and pulled his t-shirt off before sighing happily as she ran her fingers through his chest hair, lightly playing with his nipples when she reached them. Jaskier cupped and massaged her breasts and kissed her back with everything he had. The minor touches coupled with the anticipation of what was to come made Jaskier’s cock fill quickly. Yennefer, feeling it, ground down into his lap and Jaskier dropped hands to her wonderful bum, pulling her down onto him as she continued to roll her hips. 

Unable to stand it any longer, Jaskier wrapped one arm under her arse, the other around her waist and with a surge, stood up. Yennefer yelped against his lips before throwing her head back and laughing delightedly. She wrapped her legs around him as he carried her into her bedroom, pressing kisses to her exposed throat. 

The afternoon sun was lighting up the room in a golden glow and Jaskier turned when he reached the bed, tapped Yennefer’s legs to make her unlock them and then sat down. She brought their lips together again for a few heated closed mouthed kisses before setting her feet on the floor and stepping back from him. Without a word she removed her dress and stood before him. Jaskier drank her in in the golden afternoon light. The curve of her breasts and waist, the symbol tattooed above her belly button, the jut of her hip bones. He raised his eyes and found her watching him intently. 

Jaskier smiled and placed his hands on Yennefer’s waist, drawing her forward to stand between his open legs. He pressed soft kisses to her stomach before tilting his head to look up at her. “You’re magnificent, Yenna,” he told her. “How do you want me?”

She looked slightly startled to be asked before her eyes became thoughtful, eventually she said, “Kneeling, and from behind. Your legs bracketing mine.” 

“Okay,” he nodded. “I want to worship you first though. Please lie on the bed for me?”

She complied, stepping out from in between his legs to climb onto the bed, her head on the pillows, legs splayed. Jaskier stood, stripped out of his remaining clothes and then joined her, kneeling between her open legs. He lowered himself down, keeping himself steady by placing his forearms either side of her head, he felt her hands come to rest on his sides. Jaskier kissed her, tender and slow, trying to pour all of his adoration and respect and gratefulness for her into the kiss. 

Then he started to kiss every part of her. Her cheeks, her forehead, her ears, her jaw, her neck, collarbones, the crooks of her elbow, the soft skin on the inside of her wrist. He ran his lips across her chest, pressed kisses to her breasts, nipped at her nipples before dragging his teeth against the soft skin of her stomach. The attention he gave her hips bones had her writhing underneath him. Jaskier kissed down the insides of both her thighs and then ran his teeth gently down her calves before kissing the arches of her feet. 

He made Yennefer roll over and admired the large phoenix tattoo that decorated her back before running his tongue all the way up the back of both of her legs and the crease of her bum cheeks, breathing hotly on her wet core. He nipped at her bum before finally kissing his way up her spine. By the time Jaskier was done Yennefer was panting with anticipation. With her already lying on her front, legs together, Jaskier placed his skins on the outside of hers and sat back comfortably. 

“I’m done, join me up here?” he asked, running a hand up the back of her right thigh and ghosting the tips of his fingers over her entrance. 

Yennefer pushed herself up and then sat back, putting her hands on Jaskier’s thighs for balance as she held herself above him. Jaskier took himself in one hand and wrapped the other around Yennefer’s waist. He lowered her down slightly until the head of his cock pressed lightly against her and then let himself slide between her folds. He spread that wonderful slickness up and down, catching himself against her clit, making her choke out a gasp and press her head back into his shoulder. He teased her like that for a few more moments before lining himself up with her, letting his head rest at her entrance before letting go of himself and wrap his arm around her, just below her breasts. Jaskier gently kissed her neck and whispered, “Whenever you’re ready, Yenna,” into her skin.

Yennefer started to slowly sink down onto him, her breath hitching in her throat as she did so. She took him inside of her agonisingly slow, the warmth slowly enveloping him in the most indescribably delicious of ways. When he was finally fully sheathed inside of her a groan fell from his lips and then together, they started to move. Jaskier slowly thrust up and into Yennefer as deep as he possibly could while she met each thrust with a roll of her hips. He clutched at her, pulling her as tightly against him as possible to get just that little bit deeper. 

He pressed kisses to her exposed neck and shoulder feeling words falling from the tip of tongue, “I like my body when it is with your body, it- _ah_ \- it is so quite new a thing.”

“Julian,” Yennefer moaned, turning her head to sloppily capture his lips, a whine emanating high in her throat as she arched her back, changing the angle slightly. 

Jaskier was utterly surrounded by her, everything was her. “I like your body. I like what it does. I like its- _oh_ \- its hows,” he recited breathily into her ear, hips starting to move faster of their own accord. “I like to feel the spine of your body and its bones, and the trembling firm smoothness and which I will again and again and a- oh, _Yenna_.” 

Jaskier couldn’t finish the poem, he couldn’t speak. He buried his head in Yennefer’s neck and clutched at her and moved, unable to focus on anything except the pleasure she was giving him. He felt Yennefer quicken her own pace and he matched it, feeling himself hurtling full speed towards the edge. She let go of one of his hands and started to play with her clit, her fingers twitching quickly between her legs, body moving faster and faster until she cried his name, walls clenching around his cock. Jaskier managed three more stuttering thrusts before he buried himself as deep inside her as possible and came with her name on his lips.

They stayed in the same position as they came down from their highs, chests heaving in time, temples pressed together. After a few moments of just breathing Jaskier cupped Yennefer’s cheek and turned her head so he could kiss her. 

“You’re incredible,” he whispered against her lips. “Do I get to say I told you so?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely not,” she laughed before closing the gap between them with a gentle kiss of her own.

-oOo-

It was like a dam had burst after that. Every opportunity that presented itself saw them stripping each other to take pleasure from each other's bodies and give pleasure in return. Jaskier couldn’t keep his hands off her and Yennefer was just as insatiable. Everywhere became somewhere they could have sex. The lunchtime walks they’d previously gone on, just the two of them, turned into having Yenna in the privacy of the back room of his shop, up against the wall usually, her legs wrapped around his waist. Sometimes it was emotional, meaningful and slow, sometimes it was fast and a little bit hard and solely about losing themselves in pleasure, sometimes it was both.

They continued to go on dates but now they always ended up back at Yennefer’s apartment. Jaskier introduced Yennefer to his grandmother, and he wasn’t worried about it, but it was still a big relief when they got on like a house on fire. He introduced her to Priscilla over Skype. Jaskier hung out in the shop more often, usually in the evenings when he was waiting for Yennefer to finish up for the day. He was growing steadily closer to all the other Chaos ladies and being able to call them his friends made him happy. 

They all went on a group outing to the nearest beach, the nine of them cramming into two cars for the day out. Another week saw them all visiting a local zoo. There were Saturday evenings spent in beer gardens enjoying the summer to its fullest. He and Geralt bonded over their shared love of wolves, he and Duny had a similar sense of humour, and sometimes the three of them would do something together while the Chaos ladies, plus Anica, did their own thing. Yennefer didn’t have to say it, but he knew they were all very pleased that the three of them got along. She didn’t say a lot of things but Jaskier was aware of them anyway because he was looking for them. He knew when she stopped waiting for the other shoe to drop, knew when she started believing that this happiness and tenderness was something she deserved.

It was a hot day at the start of September when Jaskier had the revelation. They were in Yennefer’s kitchen, and a light breeze was blowing in through the open windows. Jaskier was heating soup on the stove and Yennefer was buttering slices of bread to have with it. She was singing a silly little song about how much she loved bread to the tune of That’s What Makes You Beautiful. Jaskier turned to look at her, laugh bubbling up in his throat but it died in his mouth as he was slapped in the face with a wave of pure love for her. It left him breathless. In that moment, Jaskier realised that he was unequivocally and irrevocably in love with Yennefer.

-oOo-

It was two weeks or so after the revelation and Jaskier still hadn’t told Yennefer his feelings. He’d come close but decided that it wasn’t the right time. He’d debated telling her through a poem but couldn’t decide on the right one. He’d even tried writing some and despite usually being very good at expressing himself through that medium, his love for Yennefer left him at a loss for words.

Jaskier was pondering on it in the shop late in the afternoon as he was tidied up his workbench ready for closing when the bell above the door tinkled. Jaskier turned to look at the new customer, who was slowly wandering around looking at the flowers on display. “Hi, can I help you?” Jaskier asked. 

The man was reasonably tall, his neck was completely tattooed and there were symbols tattooed on his cheek He looked at Jaskier and there was something off about him that Jaskier couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“What makes you worthy?” he sneered, advancing on the counter, icy eyes boring into Jaskier.

“Excuse me?” Jaskier frowned, shocked. He’d never met the man in his life.

“Why would Yennefer want you?”

Jaskier’s blood ran cold as things slotted into place. The veritable fortress that was Yennefer’s apartment complex, how she didn’t have social media, why she kept a small flick knife in her handbag. He didn’t know who this man was but just as quick as Jaskier’s blood had chilled, it started to boil. 

“What do you want?” Jaskier asked through gritted teeth, glad there was a counter between them lest he do something stupid like beat him death.

“I want you to tell Yennefer that I was hear and then I want you to leave her alone,” he hissed. Jaskier got the impression that the man was trying to be intimidating but he was too angry to be cowed.

“Well if you’re in here, I can only assume you know where Yennefer is. Why don’t you go tell her yourself? Or are you too scared to face her,” he taunted, smirking at the man.

The man hissed and stepped right up to the counter, baring his teeth at Jaskier, “Now look here you little shit stain-”

Jaskier cut him off with a laugh at the absurdity of that statement, Jaskier was both taller and broader than him and, “That’s a bit rich, calling me a shit stain when you’re literally stalking a woman-”

“You don’t know _anything_ -”

“Exactly, Yennefer’s never mentioned you once, not even in passing, she doesn’t give a flying fuck about you, she doesn’t think about you, she d-”

“Shut up!” he shouted, eyes wide and wild and he brought his fist down on the counter with a bang.

Jaskier reached in his apron pocket, pulled out his secateurs and opened the blades, letting them glint wickedly. He saw the man’s gaze flicker down to them and he took a step back. “Good choice,” Jaskier growled. “Now get the fuck out of my shop!” 

“You’ll regret this,” the man sneered even as he was backing away.

“Sure,” he smirked, giving him a jaunty wave followed by the middle finger. The man tried to close the door with a slam, but the it was weighted made the move impossible. Jaskier let out a loud spiteful laugh as he watched the main try and fail. With a final glare through the windows the man stalked down the street and out of sight.

Jaskier dropped the secateurs onto the counter, hands shaking and suddenly weak. He sagged forward as his legs turned jelly, using the counter to support himself as he took deep breaths in through his nose and then let them out through his mouth. His heart pounded frantically, and he could feel heat prickling at the back of his eyes. Jaskier had just been threatened in his own shop, he’d also just threatened someone in his own shop, someone who was clearly volatile and after Yennefer. He needed to get across the road to Chaos Tattoos, but he knew that if he moved, he’d end up on her floor. So, he breathed, and let the dump of adrenaline pass through his system.

Once he knew his legs would be able to support him again, Jaskier removed his apron and made his way towards the shop door on shaky legs. He was halfway there when Yennefer burst into the shop. She looked distraught, her eyes wide and scared as she looked around the shop. Her gaze fell on him and she breathed his name in relief before throwing herself at him, forcing him to take a step back as he brought his arms up to hold her. 

“There was a man-” he started.

“Oh god,” Yennefer groaned into his neck. “Pavetta saw him leaving your shop when she was on her way out. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“I’m fine, a bit shaken but otherwise okay,” Jaskier answered honestly, he lifted a hand to stroke her hair. “What’s all this about, Yenna? Who is he?” 

Yennefer stepped away and turned her back to him. He watched her as she reached out and picked up a carnation from the closest stand, twirling it between her fingers. He didn’t push, just waited, knowing she would speak eventually. 

“He called Cahir,” Yennefer said, continuing to face away from him. “I tattooed him a couple of years ago and he became...obsessed with me. At first, he wouldn’t stop messaging me on social media, wanted to date me I suppose, but I wasn’t interested. When I said no, he started sending me things to the shop, I ignored them.” She fell quiet and put the carnation back, wrapping her arms around her middle like she was trying to hold herself together. 

Jaskier ached to comfort her so he closed the distance between them and lightly touched her arm, “Can I?” he asked gently, “You don’t have to turn around.”

“Yes,” she replied, voice shaky. Jaskier slipped his arms around her waist, and held her to him, resting his cheek on the top of her head. It was another few minutes before Yennefer started talking again, voice no louder than a whisper. “He started following me home and posting photos of me through my door, just doing normal stuff, food shopping, getting coffee. I phoned the police, he denied everything. I started collecting evidence of him, got a solicitor, moved in with Triss. Triss was the best, she went everywhere with me.”

They lapsed into silence again. Jaskier was absolutely reeling. “I was able to get a restraining order,” she continued, “he wasn’t allowed within two hundred meters of me but broke it immediately. I was almost pleased when he did. Stormed right up to me, waving the letter in my face and screaming, right in front of the shop. He got ten months for it. It was great at first, I knew I was safe, that he was gone. The closer and closer it got to his release date though the more anxious I got. Six weeks before he was going to be freed Triss found out that Renfri had taken out a lease on a new shop and needed artists… No social media. New city, new shop, new clients, and a new phone number that only you and the girls in the shop have.” 

“I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that,” he told her, kissing the top of her head where his cheek had been resting.

“You’re not mad that I didn’t tell you?” she asked, voice quietly cautious. 

“No. I’m mad that he put you all through that and I really wish I’d just stabbed him with my secateurs when I had the chance,” he said, drawing a harsh laugh from her and making him smile into her hair, “but I’m not mad at you. It’s your business, it wasn’t an issue when we met.”

“It’s an issue now though,” Yennefer said, turning in his arms. A deep frown creased the space between her eyebrows and her eyes shone with worry. 

“And it’s one we’ll face together,” he murmured gently, trying to reassure her as best he could. Her frown eased slightly, and she went up on her toes to press a hard kiss to his lips. 

Jaskier closed the shop early and went over to Chaos Tattoos with Yennefer. As soon as she stepped through the door Triss enveloped her in a hug. Sabrina was still tattooing but Jaskier, Yennefer and the other ladies squashed themselves into the tiny kitchen to form a plan of action. 

As soon as Sabrina’s client was gone Jaskier rang the police, Yennefer called the solicitor she’d worked with to get the restraining order filed and Renfri called Geralt about getting cameras fitted since he ran a security firm. Jaskier, Yennefer, Pavetta and Triss ended up having to go down to the station to give statements. Yennefer and Triss had to recount everything Cahir had put them through while someone got in contact with the police officers who’d previously overseen Yennefer’s case. There was quite a lot of waiting around and it was quite late when they were finally told they could leave. Jaskier and Yennefer popped back to Jaskier’s so he could grab some clothes for the next day before going back to Yennefer’s, grabbing take-away on the journey back. 

They set up a new normal after that. Jaskier stayed at Yennefer’s, and in the mornings, Yennefer went with Jaskier and sat in his shop until Chaos opened. They didn’t go on walks anymore, Jaskier would spend his lunch times at Chaos and then once he’d closed his shop for the day he’d go and wait for Yennefer in the tattoo parlour. Yennefer never went anywhere by herself, if Jaskier couldn’t be with her one of the Chaos ladies would be.

Yennefer kept up a brave face and was externally, very angry about the disruption Cahir causing but Jaskier knew better. He knew she was scared and anxious, so he held her extra tight at night and tried to make things as easy as possible for her where he could. Thanks to Geralt both of their shops were fitting with security cameras by the end of the week. After that it was just a waiting game. The police were looking for Cahir because he’d not only broken the restraining order but by being in the city, he was breaking the terms of his parole so Jaskier could only hope they found him before he did escalated things.

-oOo-

A week and a half after Jaskier’s first encounter with Cahir, he was out in the street behind his shop emptying the bins before heading over to Chaos for his lunch break. When he turned to go back inside, Cahir and two other men had appeared between him and the door to his shop. He threw the bin at one of them and tried to barge passed but it was no use and one them grabbed him. Jaskier swung wildly and felt his knuckles connecting with the man’s throat. He let go of Jaskier to gasp and clutch at his neck, but Cahir and the other man were already there to replace him.

“HELP!” Jaskier bellowed, hoping anyone would hear him. “H-”

Cahir punched him in the stomach, turning Jaskier’s shout into a pain grunt as he bent double. “I told you,” Cahir hissed, Jaskier felt Cahir’s fist in his hair, yanking his head back so Cahir could stare down at him. “I told you to leave Yennefer alone.”

“Why do you think you have some sort of moral high ground here?” Jaskier frowned, genuinely curious despite his position. 

“Cahir loves her,” the other man grunted.

“So? Yennefer isn’t responsible for his feelings. HELP!”

“Shut up!” Cahir shouted, letting go of Jaskier’s hair to punch him in the stomach again. 

The man who’d Jaskier managed to catch in the throat had caught his breath and he looked pissed. Jaskier knew he wasn’t getting out of the confrontation unscathed and had to be smart about it. The cameras Geralt had fitted were recording everything and the idiots hadn’t thought to cover their faces, but he wanted to do something to make sure Cahir couldn’t wiggle out of an assault charge. Steeling himself for the pain that was to come, Jaskier lurched forwards and raked his nails down Cahir’s face as hard as he possibly could while making it look like he was trying to get to the back door of his shop. His nails weren’t long, but they didn’t need to be, Cahir grunted as Jaskier broke the skin and he shoved Jaskier away. It was too late though, the damage was done and Jaskier had left three long and livid scratch marks down Cahir’s right cheek. 

Cahir tackled him with a snarl and pinned him to the ground with a knee on his stomach and started punching. Jaskier raised his arms to protect his face while he tried to squirm out from under him but despite Cahir being smaller than him, Jaskier couldn’t get him off. With his arms up, Jaskier managed to block the first few punches but Cahir swiped his arms out of the way before delivering four fast and hard punches. The first two caught him high on his left cheek, the next bust his lip and the other catching him his nose, which broke with a sickening crunch. Eyes streaming from the blows and from the pain, unable to breathe through his nose and blood pouring into his mouth, Jaskier flailed, tried to turn onto his side, tried to do anything to get away. He jerked his body to the side, and he felt Cahir’s next punch brush past his ear. Unable to stop himself Cahir’s fist impacted solidly with the concrete ground. He howled in pain and smacked Jaskier hard with his other hand before getting off him.

Jaskier felt relief flood through him, moaning and turning onto his side as he brought his hands back up to his aching face. What he thought was over though turned out to only be a brief respite as a boot connected firmly with his stomach. Jaskier gagged and curled in on himself. Another kick connected with his exposed kidneys, forcing a cry out of him. Jaskier jerked onto his back, retching. He wanted to roll onto his side and sick, but he could not take another kick to the back. Jaskier closed his eyes and protected his head as he took kicks to the ribs on both sides. A sickening crack followed by pain like he’d never experienced before in his life radiated from his right side and made bile rise in his throat. Another kick to his right side made his vision tunnel as a sickening sense of dread washed through him. 

What if they didn’t stop? 

Someone stomped on his left ankle and unable to stop him, Jaskier started to cry. There was no staying strong. He was being beaten outside the back of his own shop. Had he told his grandmother he loved her the last time they’d spoken? He thought of Yennefer, she wasn’t at work that day and he was glad. Yennefer, the woman he loved, hopelessly so, but he hadn’t told her. Jaskier imagined her, pictured her in his mind as one of them stamped on his stomach. He thought of the way she looked when she was first waking up, eyes soft, smile gentle, hair everywhere, the little noise she made when she stretched her arms above her head. 

“GET THE FUCK OFF HIM!” 

The kicks stopped. Jaskier looked towards the door of his shop through eye, unable to open his left, to see Renfri barrelling towards them brandishing the broom Jaskier kept in the back room, followed by Triss, Sabrina and Pavetta. Renfri went straight for Cahir, smacking him over the head. Triss and Sabrina launched themselves at one guy while Pavetta threw herself at the other. Jaskier started to cry even harder as relief flooded through him. The three men ran, the Chaos ladies shouting after them until they disappeared around the corner at the end of the street. Jaskier turned on his side and was sick, the pain unimaginable as the muscles in his torso contracted as he retched, making him cry out in agony. 

“Oh shit, Jask,” Triss said, crouching down beside him. She reached out a hand towards him and Jaskier flinched away. He knew she wouldn’t hurt him, but he couldn’t seem to help the reaction. “Shhh,” she soothed him, very slowly placing a hand on the top of his head, “It’s okay, Jaskier, you’re safe now. Can you sit up?” 

Jaskier shook his head, not even wanting to test whether he could or not. Over the noise of his own cries and quick panting breaths, he was aware that Renfri and Sabrina were both on the phone. Pavetta sat down next to him and took one of his hands in both of hers., “When you didn’t show up for your lunch, we worried,” she murmured. She and Triss continued to whisper soothing words to him and Jaskier let himself get lost on it, let everything blur. 

The next thing he really became aware of was the arrival of the paramedics and police, and that he’d stopped crying. Everything was noise and pain. He was moved onto a stability board which was placed on a stretcher, Jaskier couldn’t help the sharp cry of agony as they jostled him. Renfri swam before his eyes, and he was aware that she’d taken his hand, “Sabrina is going to close up Buttercups for you. Triss is going to go with you in the ambulance. I’m going to go and get Yennefer and drop her off at the hospital so she can be with you.” 

Jaskier managed to whisper, “Okay,” and Renfri squeezed his hand before letting go, Triss took her spot. A police officer appeared on his other side, confirmed that it was Cahir who’d beaten him, asked permission for the surveillance footage, took pictures of his face and then informed him they’d talk to him at the hospital once he’d had his injuries seen too. He managed to give them some form of verbal assent and once they were satisfied with their photos he was put in the back of the ambulance. Everything blurred again as they started doing a more thorough check of his injuries and asking about his pain levels. He was very happy when one of the paramedics injected some pain killers straight into his arm. They were strong painkillers and the rest of the journey passed in the space it took him to blink three times. 

The sun was bright as they wheeled him out of the ambulance and then the glare of the hospital lighting was somehow brighter. He squinted up at the ceiling as they wheeled him through Accident and Emergency and into an empty bay. The painkillers were doing a fantastic job because he was able to get on the bed with the help of Triss and one of the paramedics, although he couldn’t quite help the whimper that escaped his lips when he sat back. They gave him some more painkillers and started talking about taking x-rays while someone started wiping away the dried blood and snot that covered his face. 

Once he was clean, they discussed his nose, which had been angled to the right by Cahir’s punch. A sharp gasp drew his attention away from the doctor that he’d desperately trying to pay attention to, despite the painkillers making it really hard. Yennefer stood about three meters from the end of his bed staring at him with a look of abject horror on her face, Renfri by her side looking equally grim. He couldn’t hear her whisper his name, but he could see her mouth it.

“You should see the other guy,” he quipped, pulling his hand from Triss’ grasp to hold it out to her. 

That made her laugh, albeit wetly and she crossed the room to him, clutching his hand in both of hers. Triss said her goodbyes, she and Renfri needed to get back to shop, and promised they’d see him later before leaving him with Yennefer. The doctor brought Yennefer up to speed on his injuries and the plan they had in place to treat them. All the while Jaskier stared at Yennefer, fighting to keep those three words in his mouth. He didn’t want to tell her here, in the hospital, slightly high on painkillers and surrounded by strangers but at the same time he ached too.

Every line of Yennefer’s body screamed how angry she was but her eyes, her eyes gave away her concern for him, Jaskier through she looked radiant. He raised her hands to his lips and pressed ever so gentle kisses to them, mindful of his split lip and letting out a pleased hum at the smile she sent him. Those words continued to claw at his throat. The doctor said they were going to take him up for x-rays in the next half an hour or so, Yennefer thanked them and Jaskier continued to stare at her. 

“You’re not going to leave me now I’ve lost my good looks, are you?” he asked jokingly, between pants for breath when the doctor had finished speaking. “I’d wink at you if you’d actually be able to tell that I was winking. I could sort of dip my head a bit like I was trying to tip my hat at you...I could call you m’lady while I did it!”

“Don’t you dare. That’s not funny, Julian,” Yennefer snorted, eye’s sparkling, lips clearly fighting a smile.

“Yes, it is,” he argued. 

“Fine, but it’s not as funny as you think it is,” she conceded, letting her lips finally turn up into an amused smile.

“I have been given a lot of painkillers and I feel like I’m floating,” he told her, nodding his head very seriously.

“Yes, the doctor mentioned,” she said, her smile getting a little bigger.

“Did they? I wasn’t paying attention. I was too busy looking at you.”

“I also noticed that.” 

She was looking at him with such fond exasperation it made butterflies take off in his stomach. Those words sat on the tip of his tongue fighting to get out. Yennefer’s smile dimmed, her eyes grew sad and she frowned.

“No,” Jaskier protested, “I’m trying very hard to make you smile!”

“I’m so sorry, Julian,” Yennefer murmured, tone serious, “I’m so sorry I put you through this.”

“You didn’t put me through anything, Yenna,” Jaskier told her, squeezing her hands. “You have no reason to be sorry.”

“He hurt you-”

And for the first time since meeting Yennefer, Julian interrupted her, “Yes. He. Cahir. Not you. This was not your fault.” Jaskier could see that she didn’t believe him, but she didn’t push the subject. He lifted his left hand, unable to lift his right because of his ribs, and cupped her cheek, running her thumb over her cheekbone softly. 

“This wasn’t your fault,” he said again and as he looked into her eyes, he could see fear there, as well as worry. “You’re scared I’m going to leave you because of this,” he blurted before he could pull the words back. “Sorry. The painkillers are...I’m not, Yenna I’m not, not for anything.”

“I’m not worth this,” she whispered, eyes glassy, letting go of his right hand to gesture at him lying on the hospital bed. 

He took hold of her hands in both of his and squeezed, deciding to let those words be free. He no longer cared that he was a bit high on painkillers, in the hospital, surrounded by strangers. “Yes, you are,” he said vehemently, making her breath catch. “The only reason I will ever leave you is because you’ve asked me too. I love you, Yenna, more than I thought I was even capable of loving someone.” 

“Julian,” she breathed, “I love you too.” Then she leaned down and pressed an incredibly gentle kiss to his lips. 

“Oh, thank God,” he huffed, blowing out what little breath he could hold in his lungs, he wanted to hear her laugh. “Phew! That could have been _so_ awkward.” He was gratified by the helpless laughter that bubbled up and out of her mouth as she straightened up. Jaskier smiled at Yennefer and she smiled back, they probably looked a little foolish but Jaskier didn’t care. 

He took her right hand, raised it to his lips and pressed a kiss to the tips of each of her fingers and then each knuckle in turn. “I carry your heart with me, I carry it in my heart,” he recited. An orderly appeared at the edge of his vision with a wheelchair, it must have been time for his x-rays, but they let him finish the poem which he was extremely grateful for. Both he and Yennefer’s eyes were a little wetter than normal when he got carefully into the wheelchair.

The next few hours involved x-rays, an MRI, talking to multiple doctors, talking to the police. His nose was broken, four of his ribs were cracked, the left side of his face was ridiculously swollen, the right side was minorly swollen, he had a split lip that extended down his chin, his ankle and kidneys were thankfully mostly unscathed, he was bruised everywhere and he felt as sore and as crappy as you’d expect someone to feel after having the shit kicked out of them. Jaskier caught himself in the mirror when he’d gone to the bathroom and he didn’t recognise himself. His ribs were bound, an appointment was made to manipulate his nose back into position when the swelling had gone down, and his lip was stitched.

It was well into the evening when they let him leave, giving Yennefer a whole list of symptoms and telling her that if he presented with any of them to bring him back in while prescribing him some heavy-duty painkillers. Jaskier filled his prescription and then hobbled outside hand in hand with Yennefer, tiredness and hunger catching up with him. Renfri and Geralt were waiting for them in one of the pickup bays outside the hospital entrance. 

“You look like you’ve gone five rounds in the octagon,” Geralt grunted at him.

“I feel like it too,” he replied, flashing them a half-smile before turning to Renfri and thanking her for her help earlier. They all climbed in, Jaskier with Yennefer’s help, too tired to be bothered by anything like pride and then Renfri drove them very carefully back to Yennefer’s. On the way Jaskier phoned his grandmother to explain what had happened, it was an awful conversation, but she calmed down significantly when he told her he’d visit the following day. 

They pulled up outside of Yennefer’s apartment complex and Renfri turned in her seat to look them both over before saying, “So obviously Triss has keys to your place Yen and everyone was really worried so they’re up there waiting for you. I think there was talk of ordering food too, if you’re down, but we will all happily fuck off if you want us too.”

“Your call, Julian,” Yennefer said, turning to him.

“I could murder a curry, not going to lie,” he answered with a shrug.

“Everyone can stay,” Yennefer smiled at Renfri.

Yennefer helped him out of the car and then up to her apartment. As soon as he stepped through the door, he was greeted by cheers from the Chaos ladies, Duny and Anica. It filled him with so much warmth and made him feel loved and appreciated in ways he hadn’t felt since university. Jaskier sat on the armchair so no one could jostle him accidentally, Duny manoeuvring it first so that he could see everyone without having to turn. He thanked everyone for everything they’d done for him. Conversation flowed, food was ordered, and Jaskier took in the people around him. Yes, Jaskier had his grandmother and Priscilla and he loved them both very much but surrounded by these people he realised just how lonely he’d been before meeting Yennefer.

Yennefer was sitting next to him on one of the dining table chairs so he reached out and took her hand. “Yenna,” he murmured to catch her attention. “I just wanted to say thank you, for everything. You bring me so much happiness. Not only because I get to be with you but also because I get to have this.” Jaskier said, gesturing around the room. 

“What no poetry for us?” Pavetta laughed, clearly his words hadn’t been as private as he’d tried to make them.

“Well I thought that was beautiful,” Sabrina said, pretending to wipe tears from her eyes.

“Sickeningly cute, I hate it. Can you give this one some lessons, please?” Renfri asked, smacking Geralt in the chest. 

“Shouldn’t you be thanking us, not Yen? Like yeah, she’s the reason you know us, but we still decided that we liked you,” Triss argued.

Yennefer leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to his lips before whispering, “You’re very welcome, Julian.” 

The Chaos ladies started pretending to retch and Jaskier couldn’t help but wheeze a laugh at their antics. Laughing even harder when Yennefer started swearing at them. Yes, Cahir was still out there but in Yennefer’s apartment, surrounded by his friends, sitting next to the love of his life, Jaskier felt safe and content. He’d worry about it in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! I really enjoyed writing this story so I hope you really enjoyed reading it!!!
> 
> Some links for anyone who wants to read the poems used in full:
> 
> [in time of daffodils by e.e. cummings](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1127-in-time-of-daffodils-who-know-the-goal-of-living-is%E2%80%9D>in%20time%20of%20daffodils%20by%20e.e.%20cummings</a>%0A<a%20href=)
> 
> [Our Souls are Mirrors by Rupi Kaur](http://tiltingourheadsup.blogspot.com/2017/08/rupi-kaur-our-souls-are-mirrors.html)
> 
> [i like my body by e.e. cummings](https://hellopoetry.com/poem/1590/i-like-my-body-when-it-is-with-your/%E2%80%9D>i%20like%20my%20body%20by%20e.e.%20cummings</a>%0A<a%20href=)
> 
> [i carry your heart with me by e.e. cummings](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/49493/i-carry-your-heart-with-mei-carry-it-in)
> 
> [Also my tumblr](https://lutes-and-dandelions.tumblr.com/) if anyone wants to come and scream about The Witcher and sip respect Yennefer juice with me.
> 
> Thank you again! Please kudos and let me know what you thought of this in the comments, they both give me life!


	2. Trigger Warnings

Okay so there are four trigger warnings for this story, they are for minor sexual assault, stalking, violence, and hospitals. Scroll down for more info.

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The **sexual assault** trigger, essentially Yennefer is groped at a bar. The story is from Jaskier’s POV so it’s not described in detail at all. It happens, it’s very obvious it happens but then there are some immediate physical and emotional consequences to it happening so if this is going to cause issue be wary from the lines:

**“You’re really not helping my resolve not to kiss you,” Yennefer beamed at him before laughing.**

**“Shall we get another drink?”**

**“Yes, lets,” she took his hand and pulled him past their friends to the bar.**

**They chatted while they waited to be served.**

Yennefer is groped immediately after this, all of the physical and emotional conflict caused by this is resolved from the lines:

**With that decided, they headed off as a group to a club that Renfri had recommended to Triss. The group walked at a meandering pace, not in a hurry to get their fast.**

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The **stalking** comes into play after they’ve had sex, it’s from a separate character, like Jask doesn’t start stalking Yen or anything like that. The stalker is involved in some scenes but the actually stalking is mainly talked about and it’s obviously quite emotionally distressing. So if this isn’t your jam stop reading after they’ve had sex or after Jaskier’s _revelation_ in the bit just after they have sex.

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The trigger warning for **violence and hospitals** , basically wa boi Jask gets beaten up and it’s kinda not very nice, I felt awful writing it, so if reading about it is going to cause you any pain be wary from this line:

**A week and a half after Jaskier’s first encounter with Cahir, he was out in the street behind his shop emptying the bins before heading over to Chaos for his lunch break.**

And then the rest of the fic is like him being beaten up and then going to hospital and Yen being with him in the hospital. The being beaten up bit is quite graphic, and hospital stuff isn’t so much, he’s on painkillers by that point and is pretty focused on Yen so if you’re not okay with the being beaten up bit but are okay with hospitals then skip to this line:

**“GET THE FUCK OFF HIM!”**

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Those should be it so now that you are prepared, please enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! I really enjoyed writing this story so I hope you really enjoyed reading it!!!
> 
> Some links for anyone who wants to read the poems used in full:
> 
> [in time of daffodils by e.e. cummings](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1127-in-time-of-daffodils-who-know-the-goal-of-living-is%E2%80%9D>in%20time%20of%20daffodils%20by%20e.e.%20cummings</a>%0A<a%20href=)
> 
> [Our Souls are Mirrors by Rupi Kaur](http://tiltingourheadsup.blogspot.com/2017/08/rupi-kaur-our-souls-are-mirrors.html)  
>    
> [i like my body by e.e. cummings](https://hellopoetry.com/poem/1590/i-like-my-body-when-it-is-with-your/%E2%80%9D>i%20like%20my%20body%20by%20e.e.%20cummings</a>%0A<a%20href=)
> 
> [i carry your heart with me by e.e. cummings](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/49493/i-carry-your-heart-with-mei-carry-it-in)
> 
> [Also my tumblr](https://lutes-and-dandelions.tumblr.com/) if anyone wants to come and scream about The Witcher and sip respect Yennefer juice with me.
> 
> Thank you again! Please kudos and let me know what you thought of this in the comments, they both give me life!


End file.
